(1) Field of the Invention
My invention is concerned with an improved fan-type automobile windshield shade, and more particularly my invention relates to a folding fan-type window shade which can be mounted on the interior dashboard of an automobile in close proximity adjacent the windshield thereof to alleviate sun and heat radiation.
(2) Prior Art
Numerous proposals have been made in the prior art to shield the interior of a vehicle against the light passing through the forward window or windshield and reduce the associated temperature increase in the vehicle. Such precautions will enhance the efficiency of operation due to decreased use of the air-conditioning equipment present in many cars, as well as to maintain the interior of the vehicle in a better condition than if it were repeatedly subjected to numerous fluctuations in temperature and excessive heat.
In accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,572 issued Aug. 19, 1986, naming Paul R. Maguire as inventor, an automobile sunshade is comprised of a plurality of elongated blades pinned together at one end. The blades are provided with a plurality of openings intermediate the ends thereof. A joinder tape is woven through the openings in each blade to permit the blades to be opened in a fan-like manner in either direction, or to be folded to occupy the space of a single blade.
Maguire teaches a number of blades or slat members, each defining a slot centrally located with respect to the edges of the member and intermediate the ends thereof and a pair of passageways on each side of the central slot. The joinder ribbon according to Maguire is secured to the members within the central slot and passageways, with the ribbon passing from a front face of the blade through the central slot to the rear of the blade, then through the passageway nearest the central slot on one side of the blade back, through the passageway near the outer edge on said one side to the rear face of the blade, back through the central slot to the front face of the blade, then through the passageway near the outer edge on the other side of the slot to the rear face back through the passageway nearest the central slot on said other side of the slot to the front face, then back through the central slot to the rear face, and then on to the front face of the next adjacent blade or slat member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,414 issued June 1, 1982 to Robert J. Surtin is concerned with an automobile window shade wherein a plurality of elongated members are pivotally joined together proximate one end thereof and disposed in stacked relationship to each other and are further provided with a joinder tape which passes through and is secured to each member intermediate its ends and a mounting bracket operably mounted to the elongated members The tape retains the members in fixed predetermined open relationship.
Surtin in particular is addressing the manner of joining the slat members by providing each member with four apertures, the first three apertures being equally spaced in a group adjacent to one longitudinal edge of the member and the fourth aperture is spaced from the group of three across the width of the member. All the apertures according to the sunshade or shield of Maguire are disposed in a row across the width of the member and the respective joinder tape is disposed in the apertures in such a way that the joinder tape passes from a first side of the member through the fourth aperture to the second side of the member, through the next adjacent aperture to the first side and then, skipping the next successive aperture, through the first aperture to the second side, then through the second aperture to the first side, through the third aperture to the second side, and to the first side of the next adjacent elongated slat member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,173 issued Feb. 13, 1962 to L. Levin is concerned with a solenoid driven shield which can be moved between a retracted inoperative position and an extended operative position to then be disposed in the line of vision of a vehicle driver and the windshield.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,762 of July 17, 1951 to J. A. Ghegan is concerned with a sunshade at the steering column which will protect the legs, thighs and abdomen of the driver of a motor vehicle, with the sunshade including blades interconnected to one another by pin and slot formations, and a set of these shades is provided on each side of the steering wheel column.
A similar proposal is contained in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,364 issued Jan. 4, 1927 to J. M. Thompson and relating to a particular configuration of the blades to reduce overlapping areas to a minimum.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,984 of Oct. 7, 1924 to J. C. Dorsey and J. W. Vaughn is concerned with a fan-type glare dimmer which can be mounted at the upper bar of the windshield.
Other prior art proposals to shield or shade the windshield of vehicles include those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,248,473 for a sunshade auxiliary device, or extender of the customary vehicle sun visor; 4,202,396 for a folding-expandible sheet; 4,109,957 for a windshield curtain; 4,005,899 for a zig-zag antiglare shield; 3,880,461 for a substantially solid composition board faced on one side with a non-glare reflective material; 3,003,812 for a jalousie-type shade; 2,855,241 for a rollable sun visor with a plurality of separately movable sections; 2,651,543 for a substantially rigid reflector; and 2,519,222 for a pivotally mounted rigid glare eliminator.
Although the prior art contains extensive teachings as to various configurations of sunshades or shields, and particularly Maguire and Surtin have shown in particular ways to connect slat elements of a fan-type sun shade, there has remained, however, the need for an improved and effectively shielding sunshade.